Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero, Markelle Fultz Building Trust & Belief in Each Other
The Orlando Magic is the No. 13 seed in the NBA Eastern Conference, and while they are not serious contenders yet, the harvest of its farming system has brought forth promising fruit. Among its brightest young talent, Paolo Banchero and Markelle Fultz have played well, and raved about their camaraderie with one another.
“I think, especially in those close moments, we just keep great communication on the floor," Banchero said. "Telling each other what we see, where we can attack, where we can create the advantage, and like he [Fultz] said, he works his butt off as well and I know he’s not afraid. When you have full trust in a teammate and he has full trust in you, you don’t even think about it. You don’t think about throwing him the ball. A lot of that stuff is just our instincts taking over. I think it’s a trust factor that we’re building and we’re going to continue to build.”
Banchero spoke ravingly about Fultz. Once the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Fultz got off to a slow start in the NBA. He developed a widely ridiculed case of the "yips," -- a psychological hurdle that prevents athletes from performing tasks generally considered fundamental.
What was once a 41.3 percent three-point connect rate on 5.0 attempts per game while in college with the Washington Huskies turned in to a rookie season where Fultz shot zero percent from distance.
Prior to this season -- where he now averages 31.3 percent from beyond the arc -- Fultz never shot better than 28.6 percent from three in any of his first five years in the league.
Now, Fultz is coming into his own. He's in the midst of a career season, boasting 13.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds along with 1.5 steals per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the floor -- all career-highs. He leads the Magic in steals and assists, and is the most efficient non-center on the roster.
Away from the numbers, Fultz has shown assertiveness on offense, and effort on defense. His first step is reminiscent of that which garnered him the top selection in the draft, and his ability to finish in a variety of ways has cemented him as the starting point guard, even with Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs waiting in the wings.
Fultz reciprocated glowing sentiments about his rookie teammate Banchero, saying:
“For me, I believe in the work. I see the work that he [Banchero] puts in," Fultz said. "All our guys as well but I know he lives for those moments; both of us. We put in the work. We believe in each other but really just finding mismatches and understanding when it’s time to get a bucket, when it’s time to draw a foul, and knowing that we need to get a bucket down the stretch. Again, it’s something that’s going to continue to build but just seeing the work that he puts in. Just believing in that.”
Banchero's work ethic is evident in his on-court performance. Fultz hit it on the nail when mentioning exploiting mismatches. Banchero has displayed a knack for understanding situational. He knows when to face-up, stop on a dime or attack the rim.
If these two former No. 1 picks can continue to grow their chemistry, they will build the foundation for the Magic for years to come.
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